Wheeled gun carriage.



E. BOURDELLES.

WHEELED- GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913. 1,1 1 1,785.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PFTFRS 150.. PHoro-LlrHll, WASHINGTON, u. (L

E. BOURDELLES.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913. 1,1 1 1,785. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET2.

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EMILE BOURDELLES, 0E PAR-IS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB, T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF rams,

FRANCE.

WHEELED GUN-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMILE BoURoELLEs, a citizen of the French Republic, and resident of Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to /Vheeled Gun-Carriages, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to wheeled gun carriages.

Gun carriages have been proposed that are constituted by a frame pivoting freely by means of a male and female joint around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle, in such a manner that the points of support or anchoring points formed by the rear extremities of the frame are capable of yielding automatically, that is to say to move in a transverse plane independently of the points of support formed by the wheels. Briefly, this arrangement has for its object to permit of the supports of the wheels and the anchoring devices of gun carriages having large firing zones to adapt themselves freely to ground of any forma tion and to follow automatically any deformation of the ground that occurs during firing. In a particular form of a gun carriage of this kind the frame, instead of being rigid, is jointed and comprises two longitudinal branches pivoting around the axle, and a base sliding laterally by means of male and female joints upon one of the elements of two universal joints the other elements of which are journaled in the longitudinal branches of the frame. This arrangement while permitting of the automatic yielding of the points of support of the frame or anchoring devices relatively to the wheels and axle presents the advantage of making the wheel and axle participate in resisting the recoil of the gun.

The present invention has for its object to provide particularly simple and practical constructional forms of a gun carriage of the above described type.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood, and readily carried into effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 3 are a sectional plan on the line CC of Fig. 2, and sections on the lines 13-13 and A-A of Fig. 1 respectively, showing one constructional form of the invention. Fig. l is a plan showing another constructional form of the invention, and Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan and a section on the line DD of Fig. 5 respectively showing still another construction.

The gun carriage which is in the form of a frame comprises two longitudinal branches a bearing by means of a sleeve a upon the axle Z), and a base 71. adapted to pivot by means of a male and female joint (a pivot h for example) in the axle b. The base it receives the center pivot g of the top carriage carrying the gun.

In accordance with the invention, the base it of the frame is arranged forward of the axle, which affords wider latitude in the distribution of the loads relatively to the axle in the longitudinal direction; in other words the center of gravity of the movable portion for elevating can be located at will, with the novel arrangement, either behind the axle, upon it or in front. Furthermore the novel arrangement renders it possible to cast one of the joint elements is in one piece at the end of the branches a, the base slides upon this element 12. The construction is thus considerably simplified.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, each of the branches at of the frame carries at its front end a cylindrical trunnion 7r: fitted freely in a corresponding housing of a cylindrical slide block y movable in the direction of its length in a guide k in the base it of the frame. v

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the pivot g of the top carriage supporting the gun, instead of being carried by the base it of the frame, is carried by the axle. This modification also differs from that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 by the fact that the male and female joint is obtained by means of a male member carried by the axle, the female element being formed in the base of the frame.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the base of the frame pivoting around a pivot it carried forward of the axle, is provided, at its ends, with teeth 7L2 meshing with corresponding teeth 70 formed at the front extremities of the longitudinal branches a of the frame. v

What I claim and desire to secure by' Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a wheeled gun carriage, a support- 2. In a wheeled gun carriage, a support ing frame comprising anchoring members hinged to the carriage axle and anotherv member havlng a pivot connectionwiththe:

carriage axle on its forward side and having yielding connections with the ends of said members adapting the frame to take positions in conformity with ground 'conformations independent of the position of wheels and axle of the gun carriage.

8.In a wheeled gun carriage, a supporting frame comprising anchoring members hinged to the carriage axle and a base mem-o her having a pivot connection with the carriage axle, connections between the front ends of said members and said base, each; .connection comprlsmg a plvot in one of said elements and a slidable bearing housed in the other element adapting the frame to take positions in conformity with the ground conformations independent of the position of the wheels and axle of the gun carriage.

Intestimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two' sub scribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

LOUIS FAUBRAT, HANSON C. Coxn.

Copies of this patent' may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G.

EMILE BOURDELLES. 

